Means for protecting wooden masts, poles, sleepers, and the like



M. BOCK April 14, 1931'.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING WOODEN MASTS, POLES, SLEEPERS, AND THE LIKE Filed Feb. 9, 1928 Jfiventor:

Patented Apr. 14, 1931 PATENT OFFICE UNITED STATES MAX BOOK, OF BAD KISSINGEN, GERMANY MEANS FOR PROTECTING- WOODEN' MASTS, POLES, SLEEPERS, AND THE LIKE Application filed February 9, 1928, Serial No. 253,039-5, and in Germany April 6, 1926.

I have filed applications in Germany, on the 6th of April, 1926; in GreatBritain, on the th of September, 1927 of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the impregnation of wooden masts, poles, sleepers and the like, and has for an object to provide simple and inexpensive means which permit automatic and local impregnation even in the case of masts, poles and the like already erected and in use.

The drum impregnation processes and'immersion processes heretofore commonly in use are costly on account of the necessity for employment of expensive mechanical contrivances and are open to the objection that the Wood' cannot be impregnated in situ.

. Further, they are open to the objection that the wood cannot be so impregnated 'as to take account of the non-uniformity of the action of the weather over the entire length of the wooden members. As is found by experience in wood exposed to weather-influences rot makes 1ts appearance at different pointsto quite unequal extents. For example, in upright poles rot occurs directly above and beneath the surface of the ground, as well as at the top and at places where, by reason of the form of the pole surface or of the presence of attachments, a stream of rain water flowing over the pole surface is liable to be suddenly arrested and dammed up more than at other points, so that at these points the media which cause rot have sufficient time to penetrate through the air gaps into the wood. From these points rot extends slowly in all directions.

There are already known devices for effecting the automatic and local impregnation of masts and the like. In general the devices employed comprise rings formed as containers which are fixed to the wood at the exposed points and mate with thesurface of the wood to be protected, forming therewith enclosed chambers which are filled with an antiseptic liquid which is free to penetrate air gaps and artificially formed in cisions in the wood. In the use of these devices it is found diflicult to secure the con-' tainers tightly enough to the surface of the -ter or the like to form a solution that penetrates the wood. In order that the impregnating medium may not collect at the lowest part of the container, but that the solution may penetrate the wood uniformly over the entire area of the container, such container is formed of two or. more plies of a material or fabric which is both pliable and pene- 7 'trable by moisture, the plles being jointed together by stitching or the like to form a number of spaced pockets or compartments containing the impregnating medium.

It will be evident that the container proposed to be used far excels in cheapness and effectiveness all containers heretofore used, and that, as it preferably consists of pliable material, it can be nailed to the wood at any desired point and requires no attention whatever.

In the accompanying drawing are illus trated, by way of example, embodiments of my invention. o-

Fig. 1 shows a wooden post which carries at its upper end and at a channel secured thereto containers for impregnating medium.

. Fig. 2 shows a wooden mast or post to' which an annular container for impregnating inedlium is fixed directly beneath the ground eve Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a plan and a cross-section of a railway slee er to which is attached a'strip-like carrier or impregnating medium.

Fig. 5 is a section of a beam embedded in masonry which is provided with containers for impregnating medium at it encastr end and on its end face.

Figs. 6 and 7 show in developed plan and clamped to the mast a second container e so longitudinal section respectively, a container for impregnating medium.

To the pole at (Fig. 1) at the upper end or crown of inverted V form there is secured by straps b fixed by nails 6 to the pole a purse-like container 0 for impregnating medium having an annular ledge 0 presenting a. cup for taking up rain water. The solution of the medium in rain water penetrates between the rings of thewood downwardly into the pole. By means of the channel member d secured to the pole there is also that rain water dammed by the channel member penetrates the container and forms witl the .medium therein an active solution.

The annular container-f (Fig.9) is secure( to the mast or post immediately beneath thr surface of the ground. The solution formed by the action of ground moisture and rain water on the medium penetrates the mast radially and gradually passes downwardly .and upwardly, more upwardly than downwardly because of the capillary action. Because of this last named action the container may be disposed slightly beneath the surface;

ing medium soluble under the influence of moisture.

2. The invention according to claim 1, in which the container for the top of a ole is of purse-like formation to contain tl ie impregnating medium and is rovided with a cup-shaped ledge for conveying rainwater to Y said medium.

3. The invention according to claim 1, in which an auxiliary containeris associated with the main container and adapted .to be clamped to the pole.

MAX BOOK.

The containeris formed as a plurality of connected pockets effected by stitching as iny dicated at h.-

The railway sleeper 2' (Figs. 3 and 4) carries on its upper face a strip-like container 70 secured by spikes k or the like to the sleeper and covering themajor part of the surface, so that the solution or extract formed by the action'of rain water distributed uniformly over the surface penetrates downwardly into I impregnating medium in powder or solid form. By means of longitudinal seams p and transversed seams p the container is. divided into a large number of separate compartments or pockets c so that the impregnating medium with which the container is charged is uniformly distributed and does not collect at the lowest point.

What I claimas my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. Means for protecting wooden masts, poles, sleepers and the like, comprising a container adapted to fit the top of such poles or masts and to be secured thereto beneath the surface ofthe ground, comprising two plies ofmoisture absorbing material joined to-' gether to form a plurality of separate compartments adapted to contain an impregnat- 

